Which uses fewer tokens, Browserbase or Playwright?

Browserbase: its tool definitions take about 3,366 tokens per turn against 3,710 for Playwright (1.1× more). Tool definitions are resent on every model turn.

Do Browserbase and Playwright have the same tools?

No tool names overlap: Browserbase has 17 tools and Playwright has 25.

Are Browserbase and Playwright hosted or local?

Browserbase: local or hosted. Playwright: local (stdio).

Compare · Browser Automation

Browserbase vs Playwright MCP Server

Browserbase exposes 17 tools and adds about 3,366 tokens to every model turn. Playwright exposes 25 tools and adds about 3,710. Measured by connecting to each server and counting its tool list, not from the README.

	Browserbasebrowserbase	Playwrightmicrosoft
Context tax	~3,366 tok/turn(leaner)	~3,710 tok/turn
Tools	17	25
Cost per 1,000 turns (Claude Sonnet 5.5, uncached)	$6.73	$7.42
Security score	82/100	100/100
Cold start	2,399 ms	965 ms
Runs	Local or hosted	Local (stdio)
Needs keys	BROWSERBASE_API_KEY, BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID, GEMINI_API_KEY	None declared
Freshness	Abandoned	Active
GitHub stars	3.4k	38k
License	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0
Official MCP registry	Yes	Yes

Install in Claude Code

Browserbase

claude mcp add browserbase -e BROWSERBASE_API_KEY='<browserbase-api-key>' -e BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID='<browserbase-project-id>' -e GEMINI_API_KEY='<gemini-api-key>' -- npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp-server-browserbase

Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Windsurf

Playwright

claude mcp add playwright -- npx -y @playwright/mcp

Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Windsurf

Tools

By name, from each server's live tool list. The same name can still behave differently.

Only in Browserbase · 17

multi_browserbase_stagehand_session_create
multi_browserbase_stagehand_session_list
multi_browserbase_stagehand_session_close
multi_browserbase_stagehand_navigate_session
multi_browserbase_stagehand_act_session
multi_browserbase_stagehand_extract_session
multi_browserbase_stagehand_observe_session
multi_browserbase_stagehand_get_url_session
browserbase_stagehand_get_all_urls
browserbase_session_create
browserbase_session_close
browserbase_stagehand_navigate
browserbase_stagehand_act
browserbase_stagehand_extract
browserbase_stagehand_observe
browserbase_screenshot
browserbase_stagehand_get_url

In both · 0

none

Only in Playwright · 25

browser_close
browser_resize
browser_console_messages
browser_handle_dialog
browser_emulate_media
browser_evaluate
browser_file_upload
browser_drop
browser_find
browser_fill_form
browser_press_key
browser_type
browser_navigate
browser_navigate_back
browser_network_requests
browser_network_request
browser_run_code_unsafe
browser_take_screenshot
browser_snapshot
browser_click
browser_drag
browser_hover
browser_select_option
browser_tabs
browser_wait_for

Questions

Which uses fewer tokens, Browserbase or Playwright?: Browserbase: its tool definitions take about 3,366 tokens per turn against 3,710 for Playwright (1.1× more). Tool definitions are resent on every model turn.
Do Browserbase and Playwright have the same tools?: No tool names overlap: Browserbase has 17 tools and Playwright has 25.
Are Browserbase and Playwright hosted or local?: Browserbase: local or hosted. Playwright: local (stdio).

Token counts use the o200k tokenizer on each server's tool definitions as an agent receives them; clients that load tools lazily pay less. Prices are Claude Sonnet 5.5 input at $2/MTok. Want to check one yourself? Run npx mcpskillhub test <package> — how it works.